In the interest of being a Neal Stephenson completist, I had to read this.However, I had doubts about the whole novel-by-committee concept and, sadly, I felt that those doubts were justified.The concept of the novel was good - it's got an interesting historical setting, a good mix of different types of characters, some action, some drama... I'm sure it all looked very good on paper. And, it's not actually bad. It's just not great.The characters never fully come to life - I felt like they'd work in a movie, but a novel really requires more depth. The transitions between chapters felt a little disjointed,as well.

I'm not saying I won't read the next volume... but I'm not making it a priority. Stephenson-managing-a-group is not as good as Stephenson-on-his-own. ( )

Reasonably pleasant read. I knew that this was book 1 in a series, however the book just ends without even an intermediate end to the story. The book is also notable for several story lines that do no intersect. The story line is not compelling enough for me to bother with book 2. ( )

This is a very interim review and I have also given it am interim rating. I approached this book with trepidation, because of Neal Stephenson's presence on the list of co-authors. I never give up on a book, but he came closest to makings do so with "Cryptonomicom". But I was intrigued by the concept and the subject matter, as well as being attracted by the Kindle price, so I jumped in and the water was fine. It was very easy to read and, despite the 4/5 strands of the story easy to follow. I did not notice any significant distinction between authorial styles. I enjoyed it and then, just for good measure, they throw in a "Grail" thread; yes, it's that Percival!. So I am hooked and have downloaded books 2 & 3. So watch this space, but I have three other books to read before part 2. ( )

At the leading edge of the Mongol Empire as it flows remorselessly into Europe, a group of knights from an obscure martial order hatch a mad scheme to thwart the invasion. The group splits, the young warriors to fight in the Khan's circus, the other, more seasoned men head deep into Mongol Territory to assassinate the Khan of Khans.

There's a lot going on here, a lot to take in, and it doesn't help that we seem to begin the novel in the middle of the story. It feels as of a few chapters have been left out - a feeling reinforced by the fact that there appear to be prequel stories available for the kindle but not in the print edition. Sucks to be old-fashioned, I suppose. Anyway, once past the abrupt opening, and the tale spreads out to a young Mongol warrior learning courtly manners and a pair of defeated Asian warriors, it all warms up a bit and and draws the reader in. Until it ends, again rather abruptly. Oh well.

The list of authors seems vast, and it stands to their credit that they manage to achieve a uniform style throughout. This does not read, for example, like a Neal Stephenson book, though his influence is everywhere. It's not an especially dazzling style, but it's not bad for an amalgam. Anyway, I found myself enjoying it, and felt it ended too soon after it got going properly. I think there are two more volumes, one of which is out, and I hope to get them, but I hope they're not reserving too much exclusive stuff for the Kindle. Grr. ( )

This is not a typical Neil Stephenson book, because it's a book written by various authors, including Greg Bear, Erik Bear, Mark Teppo, Joseph Brassery, Cooper Moo and Nicolle Galland. This means that although it reads and features Neil Stephenson style insights into characters, it also has touches from other people. It also means that they got an historian among the group of authors, and used a period weapon specialist to get a more accurate feeling of the way combat worked, so they could describe it.

It's a really good book that serves as the starting point of a trilogy, that offers different points of view that change from chapter to chapter as it moves in so far unrelated stories, leaving you with the feeling they will cross in the future.

Wikipedia in English (1)

A note on this edition:The Mongoliad began as a social media experiment, combining serial story-telling with a unique level of interaction between authors and audience during the creative process. Since its original iteration, The Mongoliad has been restructured, edited, and rewritten under the supervision of its authors to create a more cohesive reading experience and will be published as a trilogy of novels. This edition is the definitive edition and is the authors' preferred text.

The first novel to be released in The Foreworld Saga, The Mongoliad: Book One, is an epic-within-an-epic, taking place in 13th century. In it, a small band of warriors and mystics raise their swords to save Europe from a bloodthirsty Mongol invasion. Inspired by their leader (an elder of an order of warrior monks), they embark on a perilous journey and uncover the history of hidden knowledge and conflict among powerful secret societies that had been shaping world events for millennia.

But the saga reaches the modern world via a circuitous route. In the late 19th century, Sir Richard F. Burton, an expert on exotic languages and historical swordsmanship, is approached by a mysterious group of English martial arts aficionados about translating a collection of long-lost manuscripts. Burton dies before his work is finished, and his efforts were thought lost until recently rediscovered by a team of amateur archaeologists in the ruins of a mansion in Trieste, Italy. From this collection of arcana, the incredible tale of The Mongoliad was recreated.

Full of high adventure, unforgettable characters, and unflinching battle scenes, The Mongoliad ignites a dangerous quest where willpower and blades are tested and the scope of world-building is redefined.[retrieved 9/22/2012 from Amazon.com]

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▾Library descriptions

In 1241, warriors try to stop the Mongols from invading Europe; in the nineteenth century, a group of martial artists provide a language expert with lost manuscripts to translate that chronicle their ancestors' thirteenth century battles.